Farrukh Khan Pitafi’s Official Website

The role of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the restoration of democracy throughout history has simply been heroic. It has sacrificed its leaders. It has often accepted humiliating terms in order to ensure transition to democracy and it has only too often forgiven its arch enemies. Yet there is no gainsaying that it has never emerged unharmed out of these episodes. There might be many in our learned class who care two hoots about the future of the PPP for now the establishment’s figurehead, an ex-army chief and reigning president of the country, has fashioned himself as the champion of liberal thought. But there are uncountable among us who seriously worry about Pakistan’s only democratic force. The PPP has shown more than once that it is the only serious force advocating unadulterated democracy.
While it is grossly unjust to misjudge a government’s performance based on mere three months especially when we apparently had no problem in tolerating a nine year dictatorial regime, but the government should also not misjudge or misconstrue the situation. We cannot deny that there is terrible agony in the air. The people of Pakistan are in pain and the popular anger wishes to find as many people to blame as is possible. Then the fact that the establishment of the country has never quite accepted the PPP as a positive reality of life does not help even a bit. Indeed even before the return of Mohtarma Bhutto to Pakistan a media spin had already started. Whenever she gave an interview in the Western press hinting an important policy stance, she was quoted out of context here. Yet when she arrived here, the grand reception she had really made the establishment go berserk. Her life was cut short and those who had always hated the house of Murtaza Bhutto all of a sudden became its well-wishers in the party succession issue. The purpose was clear. Whosoever has seen Ghinwa Bhutto behaving politically of late knows that her leadership could only promise the destruction of the PPP.
Then as Asif Zardari took over the party charge, another defamation campaign began against him. Only this time quite conscientious intellectuals and journalists were also sucked in the campaign. The reason was simple. When Benazir’s last government was dismissed in 1996, the general mood owing to the establishment’s machinations and the party’s own follies had become only too critical. Nobody knew then that the corruption cases against Zardari and other party influentials will remain in the courts for a decade and even then fail to as much as indict anyone. Some leading lights of the media did not mind narrating the establishment’s version in the press without any problem. All these folks now felt threatened when they realised that Zardari could become the next PM. All of a sudden Amin Fahim became a martyr in their eyes and they felt affection for Nawaz Sharif too.
This betrayal of the intellectual class results in an unmitigated disaster. The new kingmaker was made so much insecure from the very start that his consultation process was reduced to a couple of unelected advisors. Since then while the PML-N has already vanquished the PPP in Punjab using the judicial and other crises as excuse, the PPP seems still struggling at the federal level. I say struggling because the party seems virtually clueless on the political matters. We have proven ourselves to be fickle minded already. It does not matter to us what your sacrifices are if you fail to ameliorate our lot quickly. We do not seem to care that it was during Nawaz Sharif’s rule when the Supreme Court of Pakistan was physically assaulted. We now consider him a champion of the judicial cause because he is paying the issue considerable lip service. He incidentally has become an advocate of media freedom also despite having broken all the hitherto records of media manhandling. In order to judge his pro-liberty credentials you should however wait for the day when he becomes the prime minister for you have already made him quite strong. Perhaps then you will know.
As for the PPP government I can only this: I know it is not incompetent. It actually has the best human resource available in my opinion. However to survive and make a difference in such testing times you need heroic will power. The PPP seems unwilling to work for the change which it had promised or was expected of bringing. As long as the presidency has Musharraf and the power to dissolve the Assembly the party rule will not be viewed benignly. As long as the judicial issue remains unsettled it will father further unrest. And in Pakistan it is very difficult for the people to digest the fact that the prime minister takes guidance from the party leadership for except for the case of the PML(Q) the party leaders have usually served as the premiers of the country too.
In my view the party cannot be blamed for the crises that the country is suffering. However as a voter, a taxpayer and a believer in the cause of the PPP it is my right to ask why is it allowing itself to be hurt so badly. Before the rule Zardari had repeatedly said that his party will not accept rule without real power. However, the party seems to have done just that. Today the democratic government seems only a sequel of the previous government. The cabinet seems to be signing on the dotted line and the prime minister only helpless. The arrogance of leaders like Rehman Malik and Farooq Naek’s continuous belief that popular perceptions can be hoodwinked do not improve the situation even a bit.
The federal government has now already presented and passed a budget that was actually tailored by the PML-N. The N-League has quite skilfully managed to shift this blame too on the federal government. We see action in Punjab and a confusing state of suspended animation elsewhere, particularly in Islamabad. Price hike and the unscheduled power outages have made life a living hell. It seems that either Islamabad will have to kill its own people or else the US will invade us. There is no coherent goal of governance in sight. If the people had given their mandate for the sake of roti, kapra aur makan and not justice then at least they should have been arranged for. But we are nowhere nearer even that target. And the fact that the public perception has worsened this much already will not let the old wounds heal. There is only one way in my view. A decisive course of action. The party chairman should drop those advisors who have become a liability, takeover the reigns of power directly and take decisive action to bring real change. If this cannot be done, and the party is ready to worry about its long term future then the prime minister should come on television, inform the people that the presidency and the establishment are not letting the new government work up to the people’s expectations and the democratic government has no option but to resign. This is the only way to win back support. Whatever deal was between the party, the establishment and the US administration is no more relevant owing to Benazir’s murder. The party is only too crucial for the future of the country to waste.

Posted on July 4th, 2008 under General •  Print This Post •  Email This Post • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback